salen
/SAH-lehn/
they leave
When referring to physical departure, salen means they leave.
salen(Verb)
they leave
?physical departure
,you all leave
?physical departure (formal/Latin America)
they go out
?for an activity or entertainment
,they exit
?formal or official exit
📝 In Action
Los empleados salen de la oficina a las cinco en punto.
A1The employees leave the office at five o'clock sharp.
¿A qué hora salen ustedes para la excursión?
A2What time are you all leaving for the excursion?
Ellas salen a bailar todos los sábados.
A2They go out dancing every Saturday.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Go' Verb Pattern
The verb 'salir' is irregular only in the 'yo' form of the present tense ('salgo'). All other forms, including 'salen', follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ir verbs, making it easy to remember.
Always Use 'De' for Location
When talking about leaving a specific location, you must use the preposition 'de' (from): 'Salen de la casa' (They leave the house). You cannot just say 'Salen la casa'.
When talking about a result or quality, salen means they turn out.
salen(Verb)
they turn out
?result or quality
,they come out
?of a process or oven
they result
?outcome
📝 In Action
Las fotos salen borrosas si no tienen buena luz.
B1The photos turn out blurry if they don't have good light.
Dicen que los negocios les salen muy bien últimamente.
B2They say the businesses are turning out very well lately.
💡 Grammar Points
Describing Results
In this sense, 'salen' acts as a connecting word between the subject (the thing being judged, like 'photos' or 'business') and an adjective (the description, like 'blurry' or 'well').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Result and Being
Mistake: "Los resultados son malos (The results are bad)."
Correction: Los resultados salen malos (The results turn out bad). Using 'salen' emphasizes the process that led to the bad result.
When referring to a romantic relationship, salen means they are dating.
salen(Verb)
they are dating
?romantic relationship
,they appear
?in a magazine or on TV
they are seeing each other
?relationship
📝 In Action
Dicen que esos dos actores salen juntos desde hace un mes.
B2They say those two actors have been dating for a month.
Sus nombres salen en la lista de los mejores estudiantes.
C1Their names appear on the list of the best students.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: salen
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'salen' to mean 'they are dating'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the future tense of 'salir' (saldré, saldrán, etc.) look so different from the infinitive 'salir'?
The verb 'salir' is one of a handful of verbs that have an irregular stem in the future and conditional tenses. Instead of using 'salir-' plus the ending, it uses the shortened, contracted stem 'saldr-'. This is a common pattern for verbs like 'tener' (tendr-) and 'venir' (vendr-).
How do I know if 'salen' means 'they leave' or 'you all leave'?
You need context! If you are speaking in Latin America or formally, 'ustedes' (you all) will use 'salen'. If you are referring to a group of people or things previously mentioned ('ellos' or 'ellas'), it means 'they leave'. The verb form itself is the same for both pronouns.